Skyfall (2012) - IMDb IMDb There was an error trying to load your rating for this title. Some parts of this page won't work property. Please reload or try later. X Beta I'm Watching This! Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Error From $12.99 (SD) on Amazon Video ON TV ON DISC ALL Bond's loyalty to M is tested when her past comes back to haunt her. Whilst MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost. Director: Famous Directors: From Sundance to Prominence From Christopher Nolan to Quentin Tarantino and every Coen brother in between, many of today's most popular directors got their start at the Sundance Film Festival . Here's a list of some of the biggest names to go from Sundance to Hollywood prominence.

Michael Fassbender in Trespass Against Us arrives on Blu-ray and DVD March 7 15 hours ago | WeAreMovieGeeks.com a list of 25 titles created 07 Jun 2012 a list of 32 titles created 12 May 2013 a list of 23 titles created 10 Dec 2014 a list of 26 titles created 29 Dec 2015 a list of 26 titles created 3 months ago Search for " Skyfall " on Amazon.com Connect with IMDb Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. Won 2 Oscars. Another 64 wins & 115 nominations. See more awards » Videos 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 8/10 X Armed with a licence to kill, Secret Agent James Bond sets out on his first mission as 007 and must defeat a weapons dealer in a high stakes game of poker at Casino Royale, but things are not what they seem.

Director: Martin Campbell James Bond descends into mystery as he tries to stop a mysterious organization from eliminating a country's most valuable resource. All the while, he still tries to seek revenge over the death of his love. Director: Marc Forster 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.8/10 X A cryptic message from Bond's past sends him on a trail to uncover a sinister organization. While M battles political forces to keep the secret service alive, Bond peels back the layers of deceit to reveal the terrible truth behind SPECTRE. Director: Sam Mendes James Bond teams up with the lone survivor of a destroyed Russian research center to stop the hijacking of a nuclear space weapon by a fellow agent formerly believed to be dead. Director: Martin Campbell The IMF is shut down when it's implicated in the bombing of the Kremlin, causing Ethan Hunt and his new team to go rogue to clear their organization's name. Director: Brad Bird An American agent, under false suspicion of disloyalty, must discover and expose the real spy without the help of his organization.

Director: Brian De Palma Agent Ethan Hunt comes into conflict with a dangerous and sadistic arms dealer who threatens his life and his fianceé in response . Director: J.J. Abrams Ethan and team take on their most impossible mission yet, eradicating the Syndicate - an International rogue organization as highly skilled as they are, committed to destroying the IMF. Director: Christopher McQuarrie Investigating a gold magnate's smuggling, James Bond uncovers a plot to contaminate the Fort Knox gold reserve. Director: Guy Hamilton After being held captive in an Afghan cave, billionaire engineer Tony Stark creates a unique weaponized suit of armor to fight evil. Director: Jon Favreau A man is picked up by a fishing boat, bullet-riddled and suffering from amnesia, before racing to elude assassins and regain his memory. Director: Doug Liman Earth's mightiest heroes must come together and learn to fight as a team if they are to stop the mischievous Loki and his alien army from enslaving humanity. Director: Joss Whedon Edit Storyline When Bond's latest assignment goes gravely wrong and agents around the world are exposed, MI6 is attacked forcing M to relocate the agency.

These events cause her authority and position to be challenged by Gareth Mallory (Ralph Fiennes), the new Chairman of the Intelligence and Security Committee. With MI6 now compromised from both inside and out, M is left with one ally she can trust: Bond. 007 takes to the shadows - aided only by field agent, Eve (Naomie Harris) - following a trail to the mysterious Silva (Javier Bardem), whose lethal and hidden motives have yet to reveal themselves. Written by JoaoBond Rated PG-13 for intense violent sequences throughout, some sexuality, language and smoking | See all certifications » Parents Guide: 9 November 2012 (USA) See more » Also Known As: 007: Operación Skyfall See more » Filming Locations: $88,364,714 (USA) (9 November 2012) Gross: Did You Know? Trivia During the martini scene at the bar, the famous Bond drink catchphrase "Shaken, not stirred" isn't actually spoken, but the martini is explicitly concocted on screen and the bartender is shown shaking the martini before pouring it.

Moreover, the bottle of alcohol that Silva offers Bond on his island says "1962" on its label, referencing the franchise's 50th anniversary. The ale is Heineken who contributed a rather large amount of money for the product placements. Bill Tanner is also seen drinking the beverage. See more » Goofs Upon removing a dental prosthetic on his upper jaw, Silva reveals many of his teeth and part of his cheek were destroyed by "hydrogen cyanide". However, this type of cyanide has never been used in suicide capsules and is no more acidic than lemon juice. See more » Quotes James Bond : [Speaking on a blue tooth device] Ronson's down. He needs a medical evac. M : Where is it? Is it there? James Bond : It's gone. Give me a minute. M : They must have it! Get after them! James Bond : I'm stabilizing Ronson. M : We don't have the time! James Bond : I have to stop the bleeding! [...] See more » Crazy Credits Bond's traditional shot towards the camera, seen through the barrel of a gun, is placed at the end of this film rather than the beginning.

After the blood stops dripping, the James Bond 50th Anniversary logo appears with the words "James Bond will return," below it. See more » Connections Back on the Bond Bandwagon 23 December 2012 | by ChiSox3514 (Crystal Lake, IL) – See all my reviews As a lifelong James Bond enthusiast who has been extremely disappointed with the franchise's latest efforts (with the exception of Casino Royale), I was extremely pleased with this film. It strayed away from the storyline of the previous two films and I couldn't have been happier after the mediocrity of Quantum of Solace. This film has all the constituents from the Bond films that have preceded it. Big explosions, ridiculous stunts that not a single person in the history of humanity can survive, and let's not forget to mention the beautiful women that would make both genders stop and stare. So what does Skyfall have that the other Bond films don't? For the first time, we get a glimpse into our mysterious hero's dark past. Where he came from and what made him the person he is today.

Although I've always been the one to say that Sean Connery is the greatest Bond ever, I can now confess that Daniel Craig now holds that honor. Sean plays the comedic, smooth, and witty Bond to perfection while Daniel plays the mysterious, dark, and lonesome secret agent flawlessly. I will always choose a darker portrayal over a comedic one because it takes a certain mindset to depict someone of that nature. One of my favorite scenes is where Bond is sitting in a bar drinking alone. I don't care who you are or what your background is, if you are drinking by yourself in a bar, then you have issues that are haunting you. Whether you can admit it or not, you are in a dark place and that is exactly where this Daniel Craig portrayed Bond is. And I love it. Aside from Daniel Craig, you have a cast that includes some of the finest actors that have ever graced the big screen. Javier Bardem plays a blood thirsty ex-MI6 agent out for revenge. His performance is equally as creepy and twisted as his portrayal of Anton Chigurh in "No Country for Old Men" and it is an Oscar worthy performance in my opinion.

Judi Dench reprises her role as M and Ralph Fiennes and Albert Finney give important and memorable roles which I won't go further into detail about. Also two prominent figures from James bond history find their way back into the story line. Sam Mendes shows why he was the right choice to direct a film of this magnitude and along with the contribution of Oscar Nominee John Logan, Neal Purvis and Robert Wade come up with a memorable narrative after the disappointment of their last collaborating effort, Quantum of Solace. I look forward to what the future has in store for everyone's favorite spy. If Skyfall is a sign of things to come, then I will remain incredibly optimistic about the future. 22 of 33 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes 'Skyfall' director Sam Mendes signs on for next James Bond movie | Fox News 'Skyfall' director Sam Mendes signs on for next James Bond movie Published July 11, 2013 Director Sam Mendes, right, poses with cast members Daniel Craig and Berenice Marlohe, center, during a photocall to promote their film "Skyfall" in Berlin October 30, 2012.

(Reuters) Sam Mendes has changed his mind. The “Skyfall” director, who previously stated in multiple interviews that he would not be involved in the next James Bond flick, has signed on to direct the 24th Bond film, which is set to be released in November 2015. Mendes had said he wouldn’t direct the upcoming Bond movie because he wanted to work on other projects. "I am very pleased that by giving me the time I need to honor all my theatre commitments, the producers have made it possible for me to direct ‘Bond 24.’ I very much look forward to taking up the reins again, and to working with Daniel Craig, Michael Wilson and Barbara Broccoli for a second time,” Mendes said in a statement sent to FOX411. The previous Bond movie, “Skyfall,” raked in $1.1 billion worldwide.

Chairman and CEO of MGM Gary Barber added: “We are thrilled to reunite the extraordinary talents of director Sam Mendes with our star Daniel Craig for the next great Bond adventure.” He added, “As evidenced by the phenomenal success of our last collaboration with EON Productions and Sony, the incredible legacy of this 51-year-old franchise continues to amaze.” Advertisement Skyfall – review | Film | The Guardian The Observer Skyfall – review Daniel Craig makes 007 his own in this very British Bond adventure – perhaps the best in the series' 50-year history Back in the saddle: Daniel Craig stars as James Bond in Skyfall. Photograph: Francois Duhamel Saturday 27 October 2012 19.16 EDT First published on Saturday 27 October 2012 19.16 EDT Share on Messenger Close Fifty years ago this month, the first James Bond movie, Dr No , opened at United Artists's West End showcase, the London Pavilion in Piccadilly Circus, a former Victorian music hall. United Artists no longer exists as a major production company and the cinema became a shopping arcade a quarter of a century ago, but the franchise goes on.

For the first time in more than a decade, the final credits confidently tell us there will be a new Bond film soon. Though produced by children of the American who launched Dr No, the Bond series is now a British institution with a global reach greater than our former empire, and the latest addition, Skyfall, was given its world premiere not in a movie house but at the Royal Albert Hall. In certain senses, it is more British than ever, not only in its predominant use of UK locations but in its relationship to national traditions. The patriotic opening ceremony of this summer's Olympics sealed the pact between Buckingham Palace and showbusiness when the current Bond, Daniel Craig , was accompanied on a mission by the Queen, concluding with a parachute jump into the Olympic Stadium. It is now virtually impossible to look at Bond's superior, M, as other than a stand-in for the Queen, especially as the regal Judi Dench came to the Bond series after impersonating Elizabeth I and Victoria. M seems now a code letter for majesty. This 23rd canonical Bond picture is possibly the best, challenged only by the 2006 Craig version of Casino Royale , which was at last able to draw on the text of Ian Fleming's first and best novel.

It has two of the same writers who worked on Casino Royale and the last Bond picture, the disappointingly frenetic Quantum of Solace , and although they've invented their scenario, it is true to Fleming and the series while making interesting additions. Returning to Britain to work on it are director Sam Mendes, all of whose pictures have been made in America, and the outstanding British cinematographer Roger Deakins , who's been working for years in the States, principally for the Coen brothers, but also for Ron Howard and Mendes. The movie begins with a protracted chase by car, motorcycle and train in Turkey which ends with the serious, tight-lipped Bond failing to retrieve a list of MI6's special agents around the world and plunging down a gorge as precipitous as the Reichenbach Falls. A somewhat premature verdict of missing presumed dead is announced, but, like Holmes, he returns, somewhat depleted, only to be dispatched to find the ludic villain who has penetrated MI6's computers and planted a bomb that wrecks a whole floor of the department's Millbank HQ.

M contemplates a room full of her employees' coffins draped in union flags and we realise that this is a Bond film that, for much of the time at least, takes death seriously. The explosion has driven MI6 underground to occupy the austere bunkers created by Winston Churchill when the country had its back to the wall in the second world war. Here, Bond is restored and reinstated, under the supervision of stiff-necked intelligence co-ordinator Gareth Mallory (Ralph Fiennes), an establishment figure redeemed in Bond's eyes by his having been an SAS captive of the IRA who never cracked. Bond is eventually sent to the exotic east – Shanghai and Macau, glitteringly affluent after staid London – to track down the villain. Here, he consorts with two alluring Bond girls, one black and dependable (the wisecracking MI6 agent Eve, played by Naomie Harris), the other Eurasian and expendable (Bérénice Marlohe).

After seeing off some minor hoodlums, one of them in a pit patrolled by komodo dragons, he discovers the villain, a laughing lunatic called Silva (Javier Bardem), a suave Hannibal Lecter type whose motive is revenge against MI6 for not appreciating him. Unlike his predecessors, who lived in Renaissance mansions and worked in state-of-the-art subterranean silos, Silva's an austere figure living in supposedly polluted ruins on a remote, deserted island. Most of the rest is set in Britain. In London, Bond contemplates changing times and his own future while scrutinising Turner's The Fighting Temeraire during a rendezvous in the National Gallery with the new, young, computer-savvy Q (Ben Wishaw), who provides for his logistical needs. M, in mortal danger from Silva, recites Tennyson's "Ulysses" ("To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield") to give her strength for the fateful showdown with her relentless nemesis. This is staged in the bracing Highlands, ancient home of the Bond family (their 16th century mansion is called Skyfall).

It's the sort of place where British sporting heroes such as Buchan's Richard Hannay and the protagonist of Geoffrey Household's Rogue Male would once repair to confront their enemies. To get there, Bond digs out the Aston Martin DB5 (first seen in Goldfinger ) and M jokes about not wanting to be ejected. There's some lazy repetition in Skyfall, the badinage is often perfunctory and Bond is as usual captured too easily and too easily escapes. But overall it's admirably staged, has a suitably sombre look, and the oddly moving final scenes have an elegiac grace and a tragic sense that the end of On Her Majesty's Secret Service only hints at. At the centre, Craig manages to get out of the shadow of Connery. He's the only Bond so far who might also have played Alec Leamas, the downbeat hero of le Carré's The Spy Who Came in From the Cold . Alongside him, Judi Dench suggests she could have played Smiley, which is more than one could say of Stella Rimington.

Timeline :: Skyfall (2012) :: The 23rd James Bond 007 Film :: MI6 Timeline - Skyfall 7th December 2008 - Daniel Craig confirmed that the plot will be independent of the "Casino Royale", "Quantum of Solace" story arc saying, "I'm done with that story. I want to lie on a beach for the first half an hour of the next movie drinking a cocktail." 21st May 2009 - Early rumours that Bond 23 would welcome back Moneypenny and Q are started when Craig comments that he'd love for the classic characters to return. 9th June 2009 - Media speculate about possible locations for Bond 23, with Afghanistan and its infamous drugs industry rumoured as a plot point and location. 11th June 2009 - Peter Morgan is welcomed to the James Bond writing team. It is announced that the scribe of "The Queen" and "Frost/Nixon" would be working with Neal Purvis and Robert Wade to pen the latest Bond plot.

20th December 2009 - Peter Morgan tells the media he has a shocking twist planned for Bond 24, alluding to the inevitable death of "M". 5th January 2010 - Sam Mendes is connected with Bond 23, but MGM deny he has been signed as director. EON Productions announce that the "American Beauty" helmsman had been hired as a consultant until MGM was clear of its financial burdens. 19th April 2010 - The Bond producers formally announce a delay in the production schedule do to the "uncertainty surrounding the future of MGM". The initially-slated release date of late 2011 early 2012 would not be met. 19th October 2010 - After months of speculation and quiet on the pre-production front, writer Peter Morgan departs the project with his treatment unfinished. 5th November 2010 - Gary Barber and Roger Birnbaum take control of MGM after a refinancing deal is approved by investors. MGM announced that it had greenlit production of Peter Jackson's "The Hobbit" and aimed to release Bond 23 by November 2012.

11th January 2012 - MGM and EON Productions officially announced Bond 23 would be released on 9th November 2012. Sam Mendes was officially confirmed as the film's director and had brought on John Logan to assist with the scripting of the film. 30th January 2011 - Rumours hit the industry press, announcing Javier Bardem's connection with Bond 23. 27th March 2011 - Judi Dench , once more back in the role of "M", confirmed to the media that she started shooting the film in November 2011. 6th April 2011 - Sam Mendes and Barbara Broccoli travel to South African to scout locations for Bond 23. 13th April 2011 - Sony announce that it will continue its bond with 007 and co-release the upcoming Bond 23 with MGM as it had for "Casino Royale" and "Quantum of Solace". 2nd June 2011 - The release date for Bond 23 in the UK is brought forwards to 26th October 2012.

6th June 2011 - EON Productions confirm that Naomie Harris had been in talks with the production company for a role in Bond 23, but that no deals were struck. Unlike production on the prior two Daniel Craig outings, casting for the girls roles were being firmed up well before principal photography began. 29th July 2011 - Whilst doing press for "Cowboys and Aliens", Daniel Craig confirmed a long-running rumour that the production was looking to take 007 to India again. The location was planned be used to film the pre-titles sequence train chase. 22nd August 2011 - Indian bureaucrats shuffled papers whilst EON waited to get approval for shooting on location. The producers began to talk publicly about shooting in South Africa instead. 9th September 2011 - Turkish authorities entered the bidding war for Bond by announcing publicly that The Turkish Culture Minister had granted permission for Bond 23 to shoot in Istanbul. 25th September 2011 - Plans to shoot in India were dropped and press speculated that the same sequence would be moving to South Africa instead.

5th October 2011 - MI6 first learn of the plans to title Bond 23, "Skyfall", after readers noticed a series of domain names were brought up by Sony. 6th October 2011 - Bernice Marlohe and Helen McCrory are announced as having won roles in 007's newest adventure. 8th October 2011 - The owner of Duntrune Castle revealed that the production had approached them about the use of the castle for the finale of Bond 23. This was one possible location for Bond's family home. 11th October 2011 - Javier Bardem confirms he has taken a role in Bond 23. 3rd November 2011 - EON Productions call a press conference to announce the beginning of filming. They reveal the title is "Skyfall" (the "worst kept secret"). The conference coincided with the date that Sean Connery was announced as James Bond. Corinthia Hotel in Central London hosted the event. Locations are confirmed as London, Shanghai, Istanbul and Scotland. Ralph Fiennes, and Ben Wishaw are confirmed as taking part in "Skyfall".

After the conference the team headed to Whitehall to start shooting. 25th November 2011 - English actor Ben Whishaw was outed as playing a young "Q". 26th November 2011 - Shooting moves to Ascot Racecourse which doubled for the interior of the Shanghai airport. 2nd December 2011 - Daniel Craig stripped off for a brief swimming scene, set in Shanghai but filmed at the Four Seasons in Canary Wharf. 6th December 2011 - In the chilly winter air, Daniel Craig and Naomie Harris film the penultimate scene to "Skyfall", where Eve hands over a box to Bond. The scene took place on the roof of the Department of Energy and Climate Change in Whitehall. 10th December 2011 - Late at night on Childers Street in the London Borough of Lewisham, the DB5 was given a run as the crew filmed the escape to Scotland sequence. 7th January 2012 - After the holiday break Judi Dench and the Bond 23 crew recreated the elaborate funeral scenes for the men who died in MI6's explosion.

Shot at the Old Royal Navy College in Greenwich, only a small amount of this sequence was ever seen on film. It was also the site of Michael G. Wilson's brief cameo. 9th January 2012 - The producers officially announce that Thomas Newman had been selected to score "Skyfall", replacing David Arnold. 13th January 2012 - The first look at the film was leaked when the internet journalists posted a picture taken of Daniel Craig on location at the Four Seasons. 17th January 2012 - Naomie Harris denies rumours that she would play Miss Moneypenny, keeping fans off her scent. 28th January 2012 - Daniel Craig films in Smithfield Market, where Bond is transported to the MI6 "new digs". 1st February 2012 - The first official photo was released by 007 producers. It showed a bearded 007 sneaking through the neons of Shanghai, a sequence actually filmed on a Pinewood soundstage.

3rd February 2012 - Daniel Craig shoots on the streets of London in Tower Hill, filming part of the desperate run to M's hearing to save the MI6 chief and hopefully capture Silva. 4th February 2012 - Judi Dench was lated to shoot on the iconic Vauxhall Bridge that overlooks the real SIS for the sequence in which she angrily watches the building explode. Snow delayed the shoot a week. 9th February 2012 - Craig and Dench spent a single day in the Scottish highlands filming their escape to Skyfall in 007's Aston Martin. 21st February 2012 - A second official photo is released, showing Judi Dench, director Mendes and DP Roger Deakins shooting on the MI6 bunker set. 23rd February 2012 - A press release announced that "Skyfall" would screen in IMAX in November. 2nd March 2012 - The second unit moves to Turkey to prepare filming the epic pre-titles sequence. 12th March 2012 - Locals spot the building of a giant Scottish manor house recreated in Surrey.

25th March 2012 - The crew conclude filming on the Surrey location, doubling for Scotland, with a fiery explosion. 12th April 2012 - After an unprecedented wait, the first full photo-set for "Skyfall" is released to the media. 22nd April 2012 - Michael Wilson spoke to the Turkish press on location in Istanbul to clear up rumours that they were destroying precious antique buildings. 29th April 2012 - Between takes on the pre-titles sequence the principal cast and crew attended a press conference in Istanbul. 17th May 2012 - The first "Skyfall" teaser poster is revealed. 21st May 2012 - The first "Skyfall" teaser trailer is released. 29th June 2012 - News that Daniel Kleinman , the title designer from "GoldenEye" through "Casino Royale" was confirmed as returning to "Skyfall". 31st July 2012 - A full theatrical trailer for "Skyfall" is released in cinemas and online.

7th September 2012 - A press release confirmed that "Skyfall" would hold its world premiere at the Royal Albert Hall on Tuesday 23rd October. 1st October 2012 - Adele is announced as 007's latest theme song artist after much speculation and rumour. 2nd October 2012 - Bérénice Marlohe appeared in Russia to promote "Skyfall" 23rd October 2012 - "Skyfall" premiered at the Royal Albert Hall. 26th October 2012 - A day after the official world premiere Bérénice Marlohe touched down in Paris to promote the film and attend the local premiere. 29th October 2012 - "Skyfall" is confirmed as making a UK box office opening weekend record for a 007 adventure. 5th December 2012 - The 23rd 007 adventure is confirmed by its makers to be the highest grossing film of all time at the UK box-office. 30th December 2012 - "Skyfall" became the first James Bond film to break a billion dollars at the worldwide box-office.

27th January 2013 - The 23rd adventure overtook "Thunderball" as the #1 Bond film of all time. 6th February 2013 - "Skyfall" became the 7th highest grossing film of all time at the worldwide box-office. 10th February 2013 - The 23rd James Bond film took home the Best British Film award at the BAFTAs, as well as winning Best Original Music. Javier Bardem, Judi Dench, and Roger Deakins were also nominated for an award. 24th February 2013 - Adele and Paul Epworth win Best Original Song at the Oscars. Skyfall also picked up Best Sound Editing and was nominated in a further 3 other categories. 12th March 2013 - "Skyfall" is released on Blu-Ray and DVD. The Skyfall's the limit on James Bond marketing | Film | The Guardian Film blog The Skyfall's the limit on James Bond marketing From Heineken to the Olympics, the producers of the 23rd Bond movie have exploited every possible brand connection Isn't that a Tom Ford suit and an Aston Martin, Mr Bond?

… no opportunity lost in Skyfall. Photograph: Allstar/United Artists/Sportsphoto Ltd/Allstar Tuesday 23 October 2012 08.21 EDT First published on Tuesday 23 October 2012 08.21 EDT Share on Messenger Close When Skyfall, the 23rd entry in the James Bond series, finally hits UK screens on Friday, the British public will be divided into two factions: those planning to see it, and those assuming it had been out months ago. Even by the unsubtle standards of studio tentpoles, the marketing push for Skyfall has been a long-haul assault, stretching far beyond the standard (if especially ubiquitous) bus-side billboards, and trailers that have been on rotation since the spring. Though not a man averse to material pleasures, Bond himself might balk at the amount of promotional tie-ins being attached to his name this time around. The new film raises the bar for onscreen product placement, from 007's Tom Ford-tailored suits to Q's Sony Vaio hardware, as well as offscreen alliances ranging from Coke Zero to perfume retailers.

(Yes, if you've always wanted to smell like Bond – presumably not after an intense chase sequence – the option is yours.) His new tipple of choice, Heineken , has proved an ongoing sticking point with fans, particularly after a big-budget ad that actually roped Daniel Craig into the action. However, with the Dutch beer having stumped up over £28m for the privilege of seeing Bond sip from a green bottle in an early scene – coolly covering almost a third of the film's estimated £93.7m ($150m) production budget in the process – the producers are willing to endure that indignity. Craig himself has been a diplomatic spokesman on the issue, acknowledging that their reliance on brand associations is "unfortunate," before countering: "This movie costs a lot of money to make [and] nearly as much again to promote, so we go where we can." That quote is about as close as we're going to get to learning the film's actual marketing budget, given Sony Pictures International's customary reluctance to divulge such details.

It would be a grey area in any case, since it's more difficult than usual to tell where this film's marketing begins and ends – particularly in this year of the Bond films' golden anniversary, when any number of external forces are collaborating to sanctify the franchise as a great British institution. 007 practically received a knighthood in his amiably goofy skit with the Queen in July's Olympic opening ceremony – a stunt that may not have had Skyfall's enigmatic name anywhere on it, but pointedly raised awareness of the agent's return to a global audience of a billion. Indeed, while few of Bond's brands of choice – the venerable Aston Martin notwithstanding – are British, much of the marketing has worked towards underlining his UK heritage.

Most prominent in this regard is a joint campaign with VisitBritain , which will be using the film to hawk British tourism to international audiences through viral and print advertising, as well as its first ever cinema ad, all united under the slogan "Bond is Great … Britain." That's hardly an incidental affiliation for a film that, unusually for latter-day 007 entries, was largely shot on home soil in the wake of budget cuts at MGM, which filed for bankruptcy in 2010: climactic scenes may take place in London and the Highlands, but keen-eyed Londoners will also notice the capital doubling for Shanghai elsewhere. It may not look it, but the high-gloss, name-heavy Skyfall came in significantly cheaper than 2008's £125m Quantum of Solace . The budget may be lower this time around, but the stakes are arguably higher. With a UK gross of almost £51m and a global total of around £369m, Quantum of Solace fell short of the numbers attained by the series' first Craig-led outing, Casino Royale , in 2006.

It was far from a flop, but it disappointingly failed to build on its predecessor's gutsy brand reinvention – except, that is, in China, where it significantly outpaced the previous film. Industry journalist Ian Sandwell , who recently studied the film's release strategy for trade magazine Screen International, describes the film's Shanghai-set sequences as the film's "ace in the pack": given the vast Chinese market's sympathy toward blockbusters with local involvement, the decision to locate a major stretch of Skyfall's action there is no accident. With Skyfall looking to right the ship and exceed Casino Royale's global gross, the marketing materials haven't taken many chances, with posters chiefly highlighting the 007 brand and not bothering to name its starrier-than-usual cast or its unusually A-list director Sam Mendes , the first Oscar-winner to helm a Bond film. Sandwell believes this focus on fundamentals is the right approach: "This could be a reaction to the perception of the Craig era to date, where perhaps the grittiness might have attracted the Bourne fans, yet alienated the Bond diehards.

Skyfall's marketing has primarily been aimed at reassuring the traditional audience that they haven't been forgotten." So far, Skyfall is tracking well enough to suggest that the approach has paid off, buoyed by one factor the marketing men couldn't control: the overwhelmingly positive reviews that greeted its first screening nearly two weeks ago, which had some excitable journalists even predicting Oscar glory. The Guardian's box office expert, Charles Gant, tweeted a prediction that the film will top Casino Royale to become the highest-grossing Bond film at the UK box office. That appears to be the expectation in the US too: the number-crunchers at BoxOffice.com are forecasting a Stateside gross of $216m . As it turns out, the lyrics of Adele's theme song (another marketing coup, as the series' first chart hit in years) aren't strictly accurate: the film's standing tall, all right, but the sky isn't falling.

Daniel Craig, who plays agent 007 for the third time in Skyfall, headed the list of celebrities appearing at London's Royal Albert Hall for the film's premiere Published: 23 Oct 2012 The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall arrive for the royal world premiere of Skyfall at the Royal Albert Hall in London Published: 24 Oct 2012 Skyfall allows sentimentality to cloud its judgment and loosen its tongue – and risks blowing James Bond's cover for good, writes Xan Brooks Published: 12 Oct 2012 Skyfall – and all Bond films – are best watched with friends. So for nearly two decades I have seen each new movie the same way: flanked in the cinema by 'S' and 'T' Published: 24 Oct 2012 'Skyfall' tops the box office - and the Bond franchise - Nov.

12, 2012 'Skyfall' tops the box office - and the Bond franchise by Olivia Smith @CNNMoney November 12, 2012: 3:51 PM ET Daniel Craig stars as James Bond in the latest film "Skyfall," which grossed $87.8 million at the U.S. box office opening weekend -- a record for the franchise. "Skyfall" didn't just top the U.S. box office this weekend -- it blew past every other James Bond film in the franchise's history. With $87.8 million in box office sales during its opening U.S. weekend, the latest 007 thriller handily beat 2008's "Quantum of Solace," which pulled in $67.5 million, according to ticket tracker Box Office Mojo. Worldwide, "Skyfall" has raked in a total of $428.6 million since its release last month.

This installment of the franchise, which happened to coincide with the 50th anniversary of Bond in film, stars Daniel Craig as the eponymous Secret Service agent, a role he debuted in "Casino Royale." That 2006 film brought in only $40.8 million during opening weekend. Box Office Mojo says it's not a stretch to assume "Skyfall" will make $250 million at the domestic box office, which would make it the highest-grossing Bond film in the theater, not adjusted for inflation. When adjusting for inflation and for the price of tickets at today's box office, the 1965 film "Thunderball," starring Sean Connery, is the top grossing Bond film. It would have hauled in $594 million at the U.S. box office during its full run in theaters, according to Box Office Mojo. Related: 10 James Bond cars you can afford "The industry is very driven by franchise films," said James Goss, a senior investment analyst who covers media at Barrington Research.

"These films have an audience with an appetite for a repeat viewing." "Skyfall" received positive buzz early on, with accolades for Craig and his counterparts Judi Dench and Javier Bardem. IMDb Managing Editor Keith Simanton praised director Sam Mendes for reinventing Bond for this era, adding that the Bond franchise is the most successful in film's history. Aston Martin's 'entry level' coupe "Word of mouth absolutely helped," Simanton said about the record-breaking weekend. "The international opening made for a very hearty welcome in the states." But "Skyfall's" success was likely also driven by the fact that consumers missed the infamous spy: Bond was off the job for more than four years. MGM -- one of the main distributors of "Skyfall" -- had serious financial troubles and couldn't afford a new Bond until now, explained David Miller, a managing director at investment bank Caris & Company. It took MGM some time to recover from a 2005 leveraged buyout, which Miller said was a possible reason for its partnership with EON Productions and Sony Pictures Entertainment, which also produced the latest film. "They were unable to manage their debt load," Miller said.

"But the four-year absence was why there was a record here -- it led to so much pent-up demand." Adding to early buzz was the theme song, also titled "Skyfall," sung by Adele. It hit number one in the iTunes Store in early October, according to Billboard.com. CNNMoney (New York) First published November 12, 2012: 2:59 PM ET Review: Sam Mendes’ 007 Film ‘Skyfall’ Sees James Bond Back To His Best | IndieWire Review: Sam Mendes’ 007 Film ‘Skyfall’ Sees James Bond Back To His Best Review: Sam Mendes' 007 Film 'Skyfall' Sees James Bond Back To His Best Talk Christopher Nolan is, famously (like many British directors), a big fan of the James Bond franchise. He said that he approached "Batman Begins" more like a Bond flick than a superhero movie, he directly nodded to one of 007's high watermarks in "Inception," and has publicly expressed interest in, at some point, directing one of the films in the franchise.

Whether the director was ever serious about the proposition remains to be seen, but it may be that when he sees "Skyfall," the 23rd film based on Ian Fleming's superspy, he may not feel that there's much of a point, because Sam Mendes has essentially made a Christopher Nolan Bond film before Christopher Nolan got the chance. That's not quite fair to the "American Beauty" director, who makes his own mark on the series (and possibly his most satisfying film so far). But it's also true that many of the qualities that Nolan brought to the "Batman" series are present and correct in "Skyfall," both in the good and the bad. (Mild spoilers follow in the next paragraph for those wishing to go in totally cold, but nothing that hasn't been revealed in trailers already.) "Skyfall" kicks off in media res, with Bond ( Daniel Craig ) and fellow MI6 agent Eve ( Naomie Harris ) in Istanbul in pursuit of a bad'un (Ola Rapace, former husband of Noomi) who's made off with a hard drive containing the names of double agents embedded in terrorist cells.

The operation goes wrong, leaving Bond believed dead after catching some friendly fire in the chest from Eve, and MI6 head M ( Judi Dench ) grieving, in her own quiet way. But soon, it seems that she has bigger things to worry, with a sinister and mysterious villain with a connection to M's past targeting the British intelligence agency themselves, and Bond is forced out of his boozy faked-death retirement to protect his country once again. The first thing that strikes you, walking out of "Skyfall," is that (as with "Batman Begins") it's the first Bond in a long while to really place character and story at the forefront of things, rather than stringing together a series of set-pieces ("Casino Royale" came closer, but didn't go into the same degree of depth). This is a new Bond, aging, vulnerable and off his game — something driven home by the excellent Adele-scored opening credits — and Craig gets some new notes to play for the character, and does as reliably and excellently as he did in the two previous entries. 007 now fits him like a glove.

But it's not just Bond who gets some added depth; this is the closest that a Bond film's ever come to being an ensemble piece. Judi Dench is virtually a co-lead, while Bond's support team of Harris, Rory Kinnear (returning as M's number two), Ralph Fiennes (as the ambivalently priggish civil servant Mallory) and Ben Whishaw (a particular stand-out as the new Q) all get significant screen time. They're not Kenneth Lonergan characters or anything, but all are engaging and enjoyable presences in their part and help to make the film seem a little more substantial. Even femme-fatalish Bond girl Bérénice Marlohe gets some fleshing out (no pun intended). Best of all is the bad guy. Javier Bardem was always a tantalizing choice to play a Bond villain, and his Silva is a terrific creation, and certainly the most memorable villain in the series in decades.

There are too many fun surprises to the character to give away here, but rest assured that Silva — who again, owes more than a little to a Nolan character, namely Heath Ledger's Joker — hits the center of the funny/strange/scary Venn Diagram beautifully, with the actor making some bold choices that payed off with a huge reaction from the audience in London tonight. So placing character at the center pays off nicely, but the film also benefits by emphasizing the story. The extra development time on the script (by Bond vets Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, along with "Hugo" writer John Logan ) shows, because there's a real sense of mystery to the plot, giving the film a propulsive whodunnit-and-why momentum that lasts into the final act. But it's also crucially never dour; the emo-Bond of "Quantum of Solace" is nowhere to be found, with Mendes treating things with a light, playful touch throughout. Unfortunately, the film also has one other thing in common with Nolan's Bat-movies, namely that the action isn't particularly thrilling.

The opening set-piece is the most spectacular, but Thomas Newman's score (which is strong, but a little wall-to-wall) never quite makes it feel propulsive or tense enough. Later scenes work better, but some may find them lacking in the sheer spectacle expected from the modern blockbuster — there's nothing as exciting as the opening sequence of "Casino Royale." Still, the idea of emphasizing the basics over the set-piece is a commendable one, and the film's still a wonder to look at, thanks to Mendes' genius stroke — bringing his now-regular DoP Roger Deakins (best known for his work with the Coen Brothers) along for the ride. Thanks to the cinematographer, the film looks, frankly, astonishing — most notably in its Wong-Kar-Wai-sci-fi-fever-dream vision of Shanghai, and the fiery climax, but consistently throughout. It stands up with the finest work that Deakins has ever done, which pretty much means that it's as gorgeous as film gets. There are some other missteps along the way. At nearly two and a half hours, the film doesn't drag but it feels a little over-extended, particularly in a climax that doesn't quite live up to what went before.

A couple of green-screen shots, especially early on, are a little ropey. And while the nods to the series' past in its 50th anniversary are welcome, some come across as groan-worthy rather than clever (there's one moment in a Macau casino that feels like it must be a deliberate nod to the more out-there moments of the Roger Moore era, because we can't see what it's doing there otherwise…) But Mendes gets a lot more right than he gets wrong, and in the process has found a confident new identity for the franchise — not afraid of its past, but not chasing its competitors or being scared of the future either. It might take another viewing of each to see if it exceeds "Casino Royale" as the best since the Sean Connery days, but at the very least, it makes clear that after the disappointment of "Quantum of Solace" that Bond is back, and he's not going anywhere. [B+]

Question: Who was the director of the 2012 James Bond film Skyfall?
Answer: Sam Mendes